Other events in Baltic States

The Cultural Endowment was restored on July 1, 1994, after a lengthy hiatus during the Soviet occupation, writes LETA/National Broadcasting.

The restoration of the fund meant that experts in the field of culture and arts replaced State officials as those responsible for distributing tax revenue to artists, said Olavi Laudo, the current CEO of the foundation.

The structure of the fund has remained the same throughout 20 years, with eight foundation and 15 regional expert groups, one for each county in Estonia. However, the work volume has increased significantly. At the first call for applications for funding in 1995, a total of 517 applications were submitted. The latest call for applications attracted 2,867 grant requests.

“In the course of 20 years, thousands of projects, creative people and initiatives have been funded. We have shared the experiences from many creative journeys, various festivals and grand events,” said Laido.